Auto Parts: Grille Guards & Bull Bars

A grille guard and bull bar is a set of steel tubes that protect the front of your truck or SUV by putting a few more inches of distance and bracing between you and a hazard. These guards are also stylish as well as functional, and add a rugged look to your vehicle. Although different brands offer different looks and kinds of protection, the basics are the same—tough looking and tough acting.

Other Uses for Grille Guards and Bull Bars -- Making the Most of Auto Parts

Besides protecting the machinery under your hood, a grille guard and bull bar also provides a place for a winch to grab on. The strong steel tubing also deflects forces during collisions and protects the grille, mechanisms immediately behind it, and in the case of more than a fender bender it can also help prevent total damage to the engine and other working parts.

Some grille guards and bull bars come with skid plates. This enables you to take your truck or SUV over rougher terrain. It protects the front bottom portion of your vehicle and is also stylish. You can drive over many things you would not normally be able to, and this opens up new possibilities for exploration.

Some bull bars are made of more flexible material, like polyethylene, and are more of a spring than a bar. These are meant to deflect an animal, and provide more assurance that the car will be drivable after collision with an animal. These are also thought to be safer for pedestrians as well. The lighter weight bull bar is also called a “roo bar” in Australia.

The Benefits of Grille Guards

Your grille guard and bull bar—or roo bar—is an important accessory if you are driving off road, through a cattle ranch, across outback terrain, or many other places where there are lots of animals. And although some have claimed that they are more dangerous to pedestrians, some claim that the bull bar actually makes the vehicle safer for pedestrians.

By providing more distance between an animal or object and the vehicle, safety for all is increased. The grille guard and bull bar deflects objects and absorbs some of the force involved in a collision. They also make your truck or SUV look tough and ready for action.